Justia Bankruptcy Opinion Summaries

The First Circuit reversed the bankruptcy court's dismissal of Debtor's motion to enforce an automatic stay as to a subsidiary of the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, holding that the Bankruptcy Code unequivocally strips tribes of their immunity,Debtor sought to enforce the Bankruptcy Code's automatic stay against one of his creditors, a subsidiary of the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Band). Debtor sought an order prohibiting further collection efforts as well as damages and attorney fees. The Band and its affiliates moved to dismiss the enforcement proceeding, asserting tribal sovereign immunity. The bankruptcy court agreed and granted the motion to dismiss. The First Circuit reversed the decision of the bankruptcy court dismissing Debtor's motion to enforce the automatic stay, holding that tribes are governmental units and, thus, the Bankruptcy Code abrogates tribal sovereign immunity. View "Coughlin v. Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians" on Justia Law

The Eleventh Circuit addressed whether a bankruptcy plan of reorganization confirmed in 1995 discharged the obligation of three debtor companies to provide future health-care benefits to retired employees of a coal company that was once part of the same corporate family. After the coal company’s future obligations to the retirees were discharged, the trustees of two healthcare benefit funds sued to compel the related companies to pay for the benefits. The bankruptcy court and district court ruled that the 1995 plan of reorganization did not discharge the claims for future benefits.   On appeal, the parties dispute whether the companies’ Coal Act obligations were discharged by the 1995 order confirming the companies’ plan of reorganization.  The Eleventh Circuit reversed the district court’s holding and found that because the companies’ obligations to provide health-care benefits were fixed before the bankruptcy court confirmed the plan of reorganization, the Trustees’ claims for future retiree benefits were discharged in 1995. The court reasoned that the Trustees held a “claim” in 1995 because they had a “fixed” “right to payment.” Further, the Trustees’ claim under Section 9711 and resulting claims for 1992 plan premiums were discharged in 1995. View "United States Pipe and Foundry Company LLC, et al. v. Michael H. Holland, et al." on Justia Law

Appellants, the Edwards Family Partnership (“EFP”) and Beher Holdings Trust (“BHT”), two companies owned by Edwards and collectively referred to as the “Edwards entities” and Appellee, the trustee who presently manages Dickson’s former company, Community Home Financial Services Corporation (“CHFS”), each raised various issues on appeal relating to the business relationship between EFP, BHT, and CHFS. The dispute revolved around two business transactions: (1) the initial home improvement loans from Edwards to CHFS and (2) a subsequent arrangement of seven mortgage portfolios of subprime loans (the “Mortgage Portfolios”) purchased as “joint ventures” between Edwards and CHFS.   The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s and bankruptcy courts’ conclusion that the Appellant’s right to repayment for their funding of certain mortgage portfolios was barred by the statute of frauds.  Appellants argued the “statute of frauds does not apply to agreements already fully performed by one party; or to agreements capable of being fully performed within 15 months, even if performance is not expected.” The court reasoned that the bankruptcy court’s determination that CHFS could not repay the Edwards entities until it had collected on the underlying loans in the Portfolios,which would take more than five years, based on the terms of the loan agreement is plausible in light of the record. View "Edwards Family Partnership, et al v. Johnson" on Justia Law

Appellees were the sole owners of an electrical company. Appellant is a general contractor and hired Appellee’s company to do electrical work on various projects. Appellee’s company contracted with suppliers and submitted periodic pay applications to Appellant requesting payment for work completed and supplies purchased. When Appellee’s company went out of business its suppliers filed construction liens against the properties relating to the projects for amounts the company owed them and brought lawsuits against the owners of the projects to foreclose upon their liens. Appellant was required to defend the lawsuits and indemnify the project owners and alleges that these lawsuits resulted in damages due to misrepresentations Appellee’s company made about whether its suppliers were being paid. Appellant obtained a default judgment against the company, however, the bankruptcy court granted the Appellee's motion to dismiss concluding that Appellant did not have a valid claim for a debt owed by the Appellee’s personally.   The Eighth Circuit reversed the bankruptcy court’s grant of summary judgment to the Appellees. The court found that summary judgment was inappropriate on the ground that Appellant has not shown that it has a claim against the Appellees personally because it cannot pierce the corporate veil. Because Appellees do not argue that there is no genuine dispute of material fact about whether Appellant can prove that Appellees committed a Nebraska tort, such as fraudulent misrepresentation, the bankruptcy court improperly granted summary judgment. View "Lund-Ross Constructors, Inc. v. Jay Buchanan" on Justia Law

Outstanding debt for Chicago traffic tickets surpassed $1.8 billion last year. Under a 2016 Chicago ordinance, when a driver incurs the needed number of outstanding tickets and final liability determinations, Chicago is authorized to impound her vehicle and to attach a possessory lien. Many drivers cannot afford to pay their outstanding tickets and fees, let alone the liens imposed on their cars through this process. Mance incurred several unpaid parking tickets; her car was impounded and subject to a possessory lien of $12,245, more than four times her car’s value. With a monthly income of $197 in food stamps, Mance filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and sought to avoid the lien under 11 U.S.C 522(f). When a vehicle owner files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, she can avoid a lien under 522(f) if the lien qualifies as judicial and its value exceeds the value of her exempt property (the car). If the lien is statutory, it is not avoidable under the same provision.The bankruptcy and district courts and the Seventh Circuit concluded that the lien was judicial and avoidable. The lien was tied inextricably to the prior adjudications of Mance’s parking and other infractions, so it did not arise solely by statute, as the Bankruptcy Code requires for a statutory lien. View "City of Chicago v. Mance" on Justia Law

Plaintiffs alleged that the energy companies’ extraction of fossil fuels and other activities were a substantial factor in causing global warming and a rise in the sea level, bringing causes of action for public and private nuisance, strict liability, strict liability, negligence, negligent failure to warn, and trespass.The court held that the district court lacked federal question jurisdiction under Sec. 1331 because, at the time of removal, the complaints asserted only state-law tort claims against the energy companies. The court held that Plaintiffs’ global-warming claims did not fall within the Grable exception to the well-pleaded complaint rule. In addition, Plaintiffs’ state law claims did not fall under the “artful-pleading” doctrine, another exception to the well-pleaded complaint rule, because they were not completely preempted by the Clean Air Act.Further, the court found Plaintiffs’ claims were not removable under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The court also held that the district court did not have subject matter jurisdiction under the federal-officer removal statute, Sec. 1442(a)(1), because the energy companies were not “acting under” a federal officer’s directions. The court then rejected the energy companies’ argument that the district court had removal jurisdiction over the complaints under Sec. 1452(a) because they were related to bankruptcy cases involving Peabody Energy Corp., Arch Coal, and Texaco, Inc. Finally, the court held that the district court did not have admiralty jurisdiction because maritime claims brought in state court are not removable to federal court absent an independent jurisdictional basis. View "COUNTY OF SAN MATEO V. CHEVRON CORP." on Justia Law

Appellants filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. The bankruptcy court approved a repayment plan which allowed Appellants to retain possession of a beach house, with the creditor retaining a secured claim for the total outstanding mortgage balance. Several years later, Appellees took as loan servicer for the mortgage. Despite Appellant's timely payments, Appellees mistakenly believed that the account was past due. Eventually, Appellees initiated foreclosure proceedings. Appellants filed an emergency motion for content, which the bankruptcy court granted. However, the district court reversed under Taggart v. Lorenzen, 139 S. Ct. 1795 (2019), finding Appellees acted in good faith because the error involved the previous loan servicer and Appellees based their actions on the advice of counsel.The Fourth Circuit found that both the bankruptcy court and district court erred. The standard announced in Taggart applies to an action to hold a creditor in civil contempt for violating a plan of reorganization of debts entered under Chapter 11. Nothing in the Taggart decision limits the case to Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings. While there are differences between Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcies, the power of a bankruptcy court in either type of case derives from the same statutes and the same general principles.However, the Fourth Circuit also held that the district court erred in its application of Taggart. Thus, the court remanded the case for further proceedings. View "Gordon Beckhart, Jr. v. Newrez, LLC" on Justia Law

Epic Companies, LLC ("Epic") was a general contractor specializing in the decommissioning of oil platforms. Epic hired the vessel Nor Goliath to lift oil platform components out of the water. These components were then transported to shore by tugboats, which were owned by various other companies.When Epic went bankrupt, the company's suppliers filed suit in the district court to recoup their costs. Several towing companies joined in the suit, asserting maritime liens under the Commercial Instruments and Maritime Liens Act ("CIMLA") against the Nor Goliath. The towing companies claimed that they provided "necessary services" by towing the barges ashore. The district court granted summary judgment in Nor Goliath's favor.The Fifth Circuit affirmed. CIMLA provides that those who provide "necessary services" to a vessel obtain a maritime lien against the vessel and may bring a civil claim to enforce this lien. Under 46 U.S.C. Sec. 31301(4), necessary services include repairs, supplies, towage, and the use of dry dock or marine railway. Here, the Nor Goliath's role was to lift platform components out of the water and place them on barges. Thus, the Nor Goliath's necessaries were the goods and services used to accomplish this task, but not those related to Epic's larger goal of decommissioning oil platforms. Thus, the Fifth Circuit held that the towing companies did not perform necessary services to the Nor Goliath. View "Central Boat Rentals v. M/V Nor Goliath" on Justia Law

Attorney Romanzi referred a personal injury case to his employer, the Fieger law firm; meanwhile, creditors were winning default judgments against Romanzi. The case settled for $11.9 million; about $3.55 million was awarded as attorney’s fees after Romanzi quit the firm. Romanzi’s employment at the firm entitled him to a third of the fees. Before Romanzi could claim his due, his creditors forced him into Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The trustee commenced an adversary proceeding against the firm to recover Romanzi’s third of the settlement fees for the bankruptcy estate. The parties agreed to arbitration.Two of the three arbitrators found for the trustee in a single-paragraph decision that was not "reasoned" to the firm’s satisfaction. The district court remanded for clarification rather than vacating the award. On remand, the panel asked for submissions from both parties, which the trustee provided; the firm refused to participate. The arbitrators’ subsequent supplemental award, approved by the district court, awarded the trustee the fees plus interest. The Sixth Circuit affirmed, rejecting arguments that the arbitrators’ original award was compromised according to at least one factor allowing vacation under the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. 10(a); that the act of remanding and the powers exercised by the arbitrators on remand violated the doctrine of functus officio; and that the supplemental award should have been vacated under the section 10(a) factors. The district court’s and panel’s actions fall under the clarification exception to functus officio. View "In re: Romanzi" on Justia Law

Debtor executed a security deed for a piece of property. She acknowledged the deed to her closing attorney who certified the acknowledgment on the deed’s final page.Under Georgia law, a deed must be attested by two witnesses, and at least one of them needs to be an official such as a notary or court clerk. Here, the deed was invalid because the attorney was a notary, but he failed to attest to the deed. The error was discovered a few years later when the debtor filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Under federal law, a bankruptcy trustee may void a deed if it is voidable by a bona fide purchaser. The managing trustee noticed the problem and sued the loan companies to keep the property in the bankruptcy estate. The loan companies argue that they have produced what the statute requires to save a problematic deed: an affidavit from a “subscribing witness.” Here, the court reasoned that a person becomes a subscribing witness only when she attests a deed, and the closing attorney did not do so. Therefore, the loan companies’ interest in the real property is voidable. View "Pingora Loan Servicing, LLC, et al. v. Cathy L. Scarver" on Justia Law